The vote was 14-0, in a bipartisan effort to take forbidden firearms off the streets and out of the hands of dangerous people.

Sen. Mark Leno and Senate President Darrell Steinberg asked for $24 million from a special fund to help pay for additional agents to enforce the Armed and Prohibited Persons System, run by the California Department of Justice.

Currently, the DOJ has only 33 agents statewide -- or less than one per county -- to conduct enforcement sweeps against 20,000 Californians who are armed and prohibited from owning weapons.

"We know where these guns are," Steinberg told KCRA 3 in his Capitol office. "We know who is living in those homes. We know that they're prohibited by law from having guns. We just have to go get them."

The guns belong to people who legally owned the weapons until they were later classified as being dangerous with mental illness, felonies, or under domestic-violence restraining orders.

The DOJ estimates there are approximately 40,000 guns that need to be confiscated, including some 1,590 assault weapons.

Under Senate Bill 140, introduced by Sen. Mark Leno of San Francisco, the $24 million would be used to hire additional agents.

The money would come from the Dealers Record of Sale special fund, which is typically used for enforcement activities.

The number of armed/prohibited Californians grows by 15 to 20 people each day, according to Senate analysis of the bill.

SB 140 has strong support from Attorney General Kamala Harris and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

The National Rifle Association, along with the Outdoor Sportsmen's Coalition of California, are listed as opponents of the bill, along with several other groups.

They told KCRA 3 that using background-check fees for a different purpose is a diversion of funds.

"What we're opposed to is taking fee money that our members have paid for background checks and using a slush fund of extra fees that have accumulated for programs that aren't intended," said Ed Worley, of the National Rifle Association.

Some are concerned the $14 background check for guns could become more costly under the bill co-authored by Leno and Steinberg.

"It may," Steinberg conceded. "But my response to that is, 'what is a life worth?' "

The bill now goes to the full Senate on Thursday and then, ultimately, to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature.

It's considered to be an urgency measure, meaning it would take two-thirds support in both houses before it could arrive on the governor's desk.

Gun advocates got no votes in the Senate Budget Committee, but told KCRA 3, they are strongly considering a lawsuit.

They are convinced the background-check fees are really a hidden tax because they are being used for a different purpose.